1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention is in the field of data processing systems and, more particularly, data processing systems and electronic devices that employ active heat dissipation devices.
2. History of Related Art
Notebook computers, personal data administrators (PDAs), cellular telephones and an increasing number of emerging data processing devices may be characterized as mobile electronic devices that are inevitably but undesirably exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions. For such mobile devices, reliability is a particularly significant concern. The presence of environmental moisture, dust particulates, and other types of corrosive pollutants contribute to the failure rate for mobile devices particularly in components such as ribbon connectors used to connect displays, keyboards, optical disc drives, and track points to a central planar such as a motherboard or electronic circuit card.
In addition, there is evidence suggesting that the environments in which mobile devices have proliferated are environments that present problems not just for mobile data processing systems, but for the users of those systems as well. Mobile devices, for example, are extremely popular in developing economies where wire-based infrastructures may not exist. These environments are frequently subject to less than stringent environmental regulation. As a result, personal air purifiers are widely used in these locations. Even in highly regulated environments the awareness of these particulates has increased. Unfortunately, even the most recent and smallest personal air purifiers present a drawback in that they must be worn by or somehow attached to the user.
It would be desirable to implement a data processing system that addressed the reliability issues noted above. These reliability issues stem from corrosion of electrical contacts resulting in functional failures due to the environmental presence of environmental pollutants such as SO2, NO2, NH3, Cl2, and H2S as well as others. It would be further desirable if the implemented system also had a positive impact on the user's personal environment by reducing undesirable particulates that may affect long term health effects related to asthma, allergens, noxious fumes, and other pathogens of both synthetic and natural sources.